In the post Isaac and Leah Sperling, I tried to understand whether they were siblings or cousins. I have enough information now to sort out the problem, which is complicated by the repeated use of first names in the family. A family tree at Ancestry.com provided me with the reference to the document that seems to make it all clear as mud. Below is the portion of the transcript available to me.
"Isaac Sperling, son of John Sperling and his second wife Catharine, resided in North Brunswick Township, Middlesex county. He was a Revolutionary soldier, serving in the Second Regiment, Middlesex County Militia, of which his future father-in-law John Gilliland was a lieutenant and his future brother-in-law Daniel Gilliland was a first sergeant. Elizabeth Gilliland Sperling was the daughter of John Gilliland and Leah Sperling. Isaac and Leah were first cousins. Isaac and Elizabeth were married in October of 1787, according to the pension papers.
This record (number 3078 of the GSNJ collection) consists of one page torn from a Bible and filed with pension application W6159. The entries, which appear to be all in..."
Being familiar with the script on the documents of the time, I am thankful to whoever read the originals and wrote out this summary for us. Big dollop of gratitude for that.
Now to put this information together with the rest of the family tree. If I strip an ahnentafel down to just those parts required to identify the individuals in the reference above, I construct the following,
1 Jan Michiel Sperlingh (German immigrant) m. Geertje Pieters
+2 Daniel m. Elizabeth unk
++3 Leah (b.1740) m. John Gilliland
+++ 4 Elizabeth (b.1767) m. Isaac Sperling (b.1759)
+++ 4 Leah (b. 1781) m. Abraham Sperling (b. 1759)
+2 Leah (b.1709)
+2 Petrus
+2 John m. 2nd wife Catherine
++3 Isaac (b.1759) m. Elizabeth Gilliland (b. 1767)
++3 Abraham (b.1759) m. Leah Gilliland (b.1781)
What I have done with the colors is show where an individual's presence is repeated. Isaac (b.1759) and Leah (b. 1740) are 1st cousins, as explained in the reference above. Isaac then married Leah's daughter. The same relationships are repeated with Abraham (b.1759). He is Leah (b.1740)'s first cousin, and he marries her daughter, Leah (b.1781).
Notes: 1. I list both Isaac and Abraham as b.1759, but those are baptismal dates, and there's no reason to believe they are twins. 2. I list Jan and Geertje's daughter Leah as born 1709, but I don't know the actual date, only that this is the earliest assumption, since that is the year her parents were married. 3. I don't know the birth order of Jan and Geertje's children, but placing John after Daniel makes sense to explain the 19 year gap in the age of first cousins. Other than that, their birth order is strictly random at this point.
Showing posts with label Gilliland. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Gilliland. Show all posts
Thursday, October 27, 2011
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
1813 Abraham Sperling Will
In a post labeled John Michael Sparling in NJ, I provided a list of occurrences of this name and its variations. The last item on the list was as follows:
1813. John Michael Sperling serves as a witness to the will of Abraham Sperling. John Gilliland Sperling is Abraham's son mentioned in the will. Location: North Brunswick, Middlesex, NJ
1813. John Michael Sperling serves as a witness to the will of Abraham Sperling. John Gilliland Sperling is Abraham's son mentioned in the will. Location: North Brunswick, Middlesex, NJ
Very recently, I have been convinced that there were three generations of John (Jan, Johannes) Michael (Michiel, Magiel) Sparling (Sperling). Take your pick of spellings. The first one, Jan Michiel Sperlingh, was an immigrant from Saxony (Germany). He was a clerk and often called upon to witness legal papers. He had a son, John, who I believe was also Jan Michiel, who also had a son, Jan Michiel, in various spellings.
The issue with the 1813 will is to determine which of these Johns was witness to Abraham Sperling's will and to identify each of the individuals mentioned. I think, using age as a criterion, that we can eliminate the first two generations, Jan M., born no later than 1690-ish (?), and Jan M., born no later than 1730-ish (?). The most likely candidate is Jan M., born 1756, and Abraham's brother.
I identify the brother, Abraham, by the mention of his son, John Gilliland Sperling. This confirms him as the Abraham Sperling, b. 1759 at Six Mile Run, son of John Sperling and Catherine, who married Leah Gilliland (1781-1835).
1. Jan Michiel Sperlingh (immigrant from Germany) m. Geertje Pieters
+2. Jan Michiel Sperling (John) m. 2nd wife Catherine
++3. Jan Michiel Sperling (Johannis Magiel) b.1756, Six Mile Run, NJ
++3. Abraham Sperling b.1759, Six Mile Run, NJ, d. 1815, m. Leah Gilliland (1781-1835)
+++4. John Gilliland Sperling b. 1800
I believe this is how the generations look when stripped to the essentials and that the last three names on this list are the names on the 1813 reference (above) to Abraham's will.
Sunday, February 8, 2009
Additional Records; Sparling; NJ
Again, I've omitted most sources in an attempt to keep to a tidy list. My objective here is to try to discover the overall picture. Sources are available on request.
1715-1726. "List of county clerks before the Revolution": John M. Sperling. Location: probably Flatbush
1719. J.M. Sperling witnessed the legal papers of Phebe? Schelling? of East Hampton, Suffolk Co. Location: ? (This reference needs more research.)
Apr 19, 1737. John Michael Sparling and Peter Sparling witness a deed transfer between Richard Lvanne[?] and Henry Hoogland. Location: Middlesex...county of Somerset.
Feb 4, 1741. Inventory by William Walling and Jen. Sperling in regards to the will of Daniel Androvet of New Brunswick, Middlesex Co.
Nov 23, 1741. Witnesses to the will of Jan (John) Stryker of Six-Mile Run, Somerset Co.; Waiter Burnet, Pitue Poumil, John Michael Sperling. Proved 6 Aug, 1747.
Jan 22, 1750. Witness to the will of Albert Van Voorhees of New Brunswick, Middlesex Co.; Cornelius Cornel, Petrus Sperling, J.N. Sperling. Proved Dec. 2, 1734.
July 6, 1765. Extract from a List of Letters remaining in the General Post-Office, "Pursuant to orders from ....two of the judges of the court of common pleas for the county of Middlesex, made on the 18th day of July instant, John Sperling, John Lot., ...et al...all insolvent debtors, now confined in the gaol of Perth-Amboy, do hereby give notice to all their creditors, that they shew cause, if any they have, on the 10th day of August next, at Perth-Amboy, why...."
May 12, 1766. Extract from American Newspapers, Relating to New Jersey (Middlesex County); "Pursuant to an order of....two of his Majesty's Judges of the course of Common Pleas, for the county of Middlesex, upon the Petitions of Justus Walker and John Sparling, insolvent Debtors, and the Majority of the Creditors in Value: Notice is hereby...."
Sep 14, 1773. Warrant for the confiscation of goods of John Sparling or, in lieu of those goods, for his arrest for his debt to John Stoniker; receipted by John Sparling and Joacham Gulick. Location: New Brunswick.
Apr 22, 1796. Sperling, Daniel, of the Northward of New Brunswick, Middlesex Co.; will of. Wife, Jane, use of house with lot of land about house from ditch to Isaac Cheesman's lot and 1/2 profits of orchard, during her life. Son, James, use of remainder of land until wife's decease when estate is to be sold. Children, Andrea, James, Leah Gillaland, George and John, each one an equal share of estate after wife's decease. Executors--son, James, and Johnathan Combs, Jr. Witnesses--Johnathan Combs, Jr., Jane Combs and Winant Dehart. Proved Oct. 19, 1796.
1796, Sep 30. Inventory...made by Edmund Davis and Jonathan Combs.
This last, Daniel Sperling's will, I copied nearly in full because of its relevant importance to the questions I am asking. Also very useful is the record of 1787 in which Daniel Sparling identifies the signatures of his father and brother. Using family records of the Gilliland's and others in conjunction with the source records of various families, such as the DeHart's (records not presented), it has become possible to make educated guesses about the Sparling family line.
A few conclusions:
1. The first and most obvious conclusion is that Isaac Sperling was not the brother of Leah (Sperling) Gilliland as I suggested in my post, Issac and Leah Sperling. Yet, it's unlikely they were unrelated. Perhaps cousins.
2. The second, important piece of information is the identity of Daniel Sparling's father. Although it's not explicit, the dates for John Michael Sparling make him the better candidate. Therefore, Daniel's brother is Peter Sparling. (see the 1737 record and the record of 1787 associated with it.)
3. The dates of debtor's trouble ('65-'73) for John Sparling suggest he was the son John of Daniel or a cousin, rather than John Michael Sparling, the elder. It is, furthermore, out of character for a clerk and a man who regularly serves as witness to legal matters to be caught up in gaol.
4. At least one published family tree lists a son of Daniel Sparling as Andrew. I'm inclined to believe it was a daughter, Andrea, as listed in Daniel's will. If Andrea was a son, Andrew, then he was the oldest and would have most likely been granted primary use of the land as well as Executor. Instead, those honors went to James, probably the eldest son.
5. The George Sparling whose parents I have been attempting to identify might very well be Daniel's fourth child. Nothing yet suggests he is not; nothing verifies it either.
Much, much more family information can be pulled from these records in addition to records of associated families and from New Jersey tax lists, too numerous for this particular post. If you can add to these records or to my guesses or steer me in a different direction entirely, please feel free to make contact.
1715-1726. "List of county clerks before the Revolution": John M. Sperling. Location: probably Flatbush
1719. J.M. Sperling witnessed the legal papers of Phebe? Schelling? of East Hampton, Suffolk Co. Location: ? (This reference needs more research.)
Apr 19, 1737. John Michael Sparling and Peter Sparling witness a deed transfer between Richard Lvanne[?] and Henry Hoogland. Location: Middlesex...county of Somerset.
Feb 28, 1787. "Daniel Sparling appeared before Jeremiah Manning and testified that he was familiar with the handwriting of the two witnesses and that 'one was his Father and the other was his brother,'" recorded -5 March 1787"
Feb 4, 1741. Inventory by William Walling and Jen. Sperling in regards to the will of Daniel Androvet of New Brunswick, Middlesex Co.
Nov 23, 1741. Witnesses to the will of Jan (John) Stryker of Six-Mile Run, Somerset Co.; Waiter Burnet, Pitue Poumil, John Michael Sperling. Proved 6 Aug, 1747.
Jan 22, 1750. Witness to the will of Albert Van Voorhees of New Brunswick, Middlesex Co.; Cornelius Cornel, Petrus Sperling, J.N. Sperling. Proved Dec. 2, 1734.
July 6, 1765. Extract from a List of Letters remaining in the General Post-Office, "Pursuant to orders from ....two of the judges of the court of common pleas for the county of Middlesex, made on the 18th day of July instant, John Sperling, John Lot., ...et al...all insolvent debtors, now confined in the gaol of Perth-Amboy, do hereby give notice to all their creditors, that they shew cause, if any they have, on the 10th day of August next, at Perth-Amboy, why...."
May 12, 1766. Extract from American Newspapers, Relating to New Jersey (Middlesex County); "Pursuant to an order of....two of his Majesty's Judges of the course of Common Pleas, for the county of Middlesex, upon the Petitions of Justus Walker and John Sparling, insolvent Debtors, and the Majority of the Creditors in Value: Notice is hereby...."
Sep 14, 1773. Warrant for the confiscation of goods of John Sparling or, in lieu of those goods, for his arrest for his debt to John Stoniker; receipted by John Sparling and Joacham Gulick. Location: New Brunswick.
Apr 22, 1796. Sperling, Daniel, of the Northward of New Brunswick, Middlesex Co.; will of. Wife, Jane, use of house with lot of land about house from ditch to Isaac Cheesman's lot and 1/2 profits of orchard, during her life. Son, James, use of remainder of land until wife's decease when estate is to be sold. Children, Andrea, James, Leah Gillaland, George and John, each one an equal share of estate after wife's decease. Executors--son, James, and Johnathan Combs, Jr. Witnesses--Johnathan Combs, Jr., Jane Combs and Winant Dehart. Proved Oct. 19, 1796.
1796, Sep 30. Inventory...made by Edmund Davis and Jonathan Combs.
This last, Daniel Sperling's will, I copied nearly in full because of its relevant importance to the questions I am asking. Also very useful is the record of 1787 in which Daniel Sparling identifies the signatures of his father and brother. Using family records of the Gilliland's and others in conjunction with the source records of various families, such as the DeHart's (records not presented), it has become possible to make educated guesses about the Sparling family line.
A few conclusions:
1. The first and most obvious conclusion is that Isaac Sperling was not the brother of Leah (Sperling) Gilliland as I suggested in my post, Issac and Leah Sperling. Yet, it's unlikely they were unrelated. Perhaps cousins.
2. The second, important piece of information is the identity of Daniel Sparling's father. Although it's not explicit, the dates for John Michael Sparling make him the better candidate. Therefore, Daniel's brother is Peter Sparling. (see the 1737 record and the record of 1787 associated with it.)
3. The dates of debtor's trouble ('65-'73) for John Sparling suggest he was the son John of Daniel or a cousin, rather than John Michael Sparling, the elder. It is, furthermore, out of character for a clerk and a man who regularly serves as witness to legal matters to be caught up in gaol.
4. At least one published family tree lists a son of Daniel Sparling as Andrew. I'm inclined to believe it was a daughter, Andrea, as listed in Daniel's will. If Andrea was a son, Andrew, then he was the oldest and would have most likely been granted primary use of the land as well as Executor. Instead, those honors went to James, probably the eldest son.
5. The George Sparling whose parents I have been attempting to identify might very well be Daniel's fourth child. Nothing yet suggests he is not; nothing verifies it either.
Much, much more family information can be pulled from these records in addition to records of associated families and from New Jersey tax lists, too numerous for this particular post. If you can add to these records or to my guesses or steer me in a different direction entirely, please feel free to make contact.
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
John Michael Sparling in NJ
I've culled the internet for references to Jan Michiel Sperling, hoping to verify any connection between him and Daniel, Isaac, Leah or George Sparling (Sperling). I haven't...yet. What I have found is a community of Dutch immigrants who gather in their churches, where the young folk meet, mingle and eventually marry and build families of their own. In the meanwhile, they brew ale, mend shoes and pots and are farmers and, when they have to be, soldiers.
Below is my attempt to organize (what I hope are) relevant bits of information.
between 1720-1748. Head of family, Jan Sperling, joins the Reformed Dutch Church. Location: Six Mile Run, Somerset, NJ
1730. John Michael Sperling serves as the appraiser for the will of Charles Androvet. Location: Six Mile Run, Somerset, NJ
Jun 18, 1752. John Michael Sperling serves as witness of the will of John Vleet. Location: Six Mile Run, Somerset, NJ
1752. Daniel Sperling and Johannes Sperling appear on a list of freeholders in the source, "First Settlers of Piscataway and Woodbridge," p551, O.E. Monette. Location: New Brunswick, Somerset, NJ
1752-1772. Two, individual John Sparlings appear on John Piatt's "Cobbler Census." Location: Somerset, NJ
NJ militia. George, Abram, Isaac, James, Joseph, Peter and John Sparling appear on the Revolutionary War Rolls.
Sarah 1793-1867. The inscription on the gravestone of Sarah Van Pelt reads, "wife of John Sparling." Location: Dayton, Middlesex, NJ
1813. John Michael Sperling serves as a witness to the will of Abraham Sperling. John Gilliland Sperling is Abraham's son mentioned in the will. Location: North Brunswick, Middlesex, NJ
If you can add to this list, amend, correct or help me make any connections, the help is warmly appreciated. In the interest of clarity, I omitted my sources, but can provide them on request. In addition to the names above, there is a host of associated Van Pelts, Van Cleefs (Van Cleaves), Gillilands, Vliets (Vleets, Fleets), Vunks (Vonks), Piatts and others who may have known or married Sperlings over the course of the 18th century in New Jersey. I have more information to offer anyone who is interested.
Below is my attempt to organize (what I hope are) relevant bits of information.
New Jersey-only references to John (Jan, Johannes) Michael (Michiel) Sparling (Sperling) arranged by date
.
Dec 10, 1709. A marriage recorded in the Dutch Reformed Church between Jan Michiel Sperling and Geertie Pieters. Location: Hackensack, Bergen, NJ (Residence: Acquiggenock [Passaic])between 1720-1748. Head of family, Jan Sperling, joins the Reformed Dutch Church. Location: Six Mile Run, Somerset, NJ
1730. John Michael Sperling serves as the appraiser for the will of Charles Androvet. Location: Six Mile Run, Somerset, NJ
Jun 18, 1752. John Michael Sperling serves as witness of the will of John Vleet. Location: Six Mile Run, Somerset, NJ
1752. Daniel Sperling and Johannes Sperling appear on a list of freeholders in the source, "First Settlers of Piscataway and Woodbridge," p551, O.E. Monette. Location: New Brunswick, Somerset, NJ
1752-1772. Two, individual John Sparlings appear on John Piatt's "Cobbler Census." Location: Somerset, NJ
NJ militia. George, Abram, Isaac, James, Joseph, Peter and John Sparling appear on the Revolutionary War Rolls.
Sarah 1793-1867. The inscription on the gravestone of Sarah Van Pelt reads, "wife of John Sparling." Location: Dayton, Middlesex, NJ
1813. John Michael Sperling serves as a witness to the will of Abraham Sperling. John Gilliland Sperling is Abraham's son mentioned in the will. Location: North Brunswick, Middlesex, NJ
If you can add to this list, amend, correct or help me make any connections, the help is warmly appreciated. In the interest of clarity, I omitted my sources, but can provide them on request. In addition to the names above, there is a host of associated Van Pelts, Van Cleefs (Van Cleaves), Gillilands, Vliets (Vleets, Fleets), Vunks (Vonks), Piatts and others who may have known or married Sperlings over the course of the 18th century in New Jersey. I have more information to offer anyone who is interested.
Monday, February 2, 2009
Isaac and Leah Sperling
Following a different tack to discover the name of George Sparling's (b.1750) father. In one family tree (among many that don't), he has a brother listed as Isaac Sperling. I thought that if I could find Isaac's father, then I'd have my answer.
Isaac Sperling, it turns out, is a good candidate for George's brother. He was born 1758, and he also served in the Revolutionary War as a patriot in NJ.
A little research makes Isaac even more interesting. Apparently, he married a woman named Elizabeth Gilliland of Cranbury, Middlesex, NJ. This woman had several brothers and sisters, but one of the most interesting was a John Gilliland, who married a woman named Leah Sperling! Could it be that Leah and Isaac were siblings, that they knew the Gilliland family and each married within it?
Furthermore, John Gilliland served as a patriot in the NJ militia during the Revolutionary War, specifically under Captain Piatt, the same captain recorded by the DAR as George Sparling's commander. The record from Roster of Soldiers and Patriots of the American Revolution Buried in Indiana (p.340) for George Sparling reads, "Served 1 yr in 1st Regt., N.J., commanded by Capt. Daniel Piatt, 3 yrs. Capt. Longstreet. In battles of Brandywine and Monmouth."
This patriot connection suggests that Leah and Isaac may have had another sibling, George Sparling, but this is all conjecture at this point. Also, none of it adds up to a name for a common father. It suggests, though, that my guess that not all the New Jersey Sparlings headed to Canada or were Loyalists might be leading somewhere.
Lots, lots more to unravel. For example, one public family tree claims that Isaac Sperling is the son of Jan Michiel Sperling, elsewhere reported to be George Sparling's grandfather (see my recent post, Loyalists and Revolutionaries). If you can help put together all these tantalizing hints, please send me an email or leave a comment. I'm more than happy to provide any data I have.
Isaac Sperling, it turns out, is a good candidate for George's brother. He was born 1758, and he also served in the Revolutionary War as a patriot in NJ.
A little research makes Isaac even more interesting. Apparently, he married a woman named Elizabeth Gilliland of Cranbury, Middlesex, NJ. This woman had several brothers and sisters, but one of the most interesting was a John Gilliland, who married a woman named Leah Sperling! Could it be that Leah and Isaac were siblings, that they knew the Gilliland family and each married within it?
Furthermore, John Gilliland served as a patriot in the NJ militia during the Revolutionary War, specifically under Captain Piatt, the same captain recorded by the DAR as George Sparling's commander. The record from Roster of Soldiers and Patriots of the American Revolution Buried in Indiana (p.340) for George Sparling reads, "Served 1 yr in 1st Regt., N.J., commanded by Capt. Daniel Piatt, 3 yrs. Capt. Longstreet. In battles of Brandywine and Monmouth."
This patriot connection suggests that Leah and Isaac may have had another sibling, George Sparling, but this is all conjecture at this point. Also, none of it adds up to a name for a common father. It suggests, though, that my guess that not all the New Jersey Sparlings headed to Canada or were Loyalists might be leading somewhere.
Lots, lots more to unravel. For example, one public family tree claims that Isaac Sperling is the son of Jan Michiel Sperling, elsewhere reported to be George Sparling's grandfather (see my recent post, Loyalists and Revolutionaries). If you can help put together all these tantalizing hints, please send me an email or leave a comment. I'm more than happy to provide any data I have.
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